A few weeks ago district parents, with a lot of help from their kids, helped take a major step forward in ensuring the successful transition of Bullis students into their new campus at Covington School.

In light of the continuing push for a charter school by a subset of Bullis parents, the "What’s Cool at Covington" open house served as a positive reminder of so much of what’s right about the Los Altos School District, in this case the state-of-the-art Covington campus.

The open house was the brainchild of Springer/Covington parent Sue Weber. Weber contacted Springer PTA presidents Kerri Gordon and JoAnn McLennan who in turn flew the idea by their Bullis counterparts, Cindy McColl and Marion Robertson. Central to Weber’s idea was to have current Covington students who are slated to return to Covington next year act as the tour guides. The approach allowed those who know the facility best to showcase it while allowing students to meet and interact with their future classmates.

According to current Covington principal, Bob Celeste, the event was a success due to "kid-to-kid organization. Students know their school and when they have an opportunity to demonstrate how their school operates, good things happen."

An estimated 200 Bullis parents and students attended the event and there seemed to be an overall consensus among everyone that moving to Covington might not be such a bad thing after all. Towards the end of the open house, a steady rain began to fall causing one Bullis parent to joke, "look everyone, it rains here and not one single sign of any flooding!"

The grand finale was marked by a much anticipated ice cream social for all the participants.

For sure, moving an entire school into a new site won’t be easy. Rain notwithstanding, the shining smiles of all who attended went a long way toward bringing a new school community together.

For the record: We list all new two-story homes and new two-story additions in this column as they require a public  hearing. Public hearings are NOT required, however, for single story homes unless they are accompanied by a request for a variance. Such applications are included in this column when space is available. Call the Planning Department at 948-2790 for details.

1.  03-SC-07--Kohler Associates Architects /K. and H. Lancaster--1195 Portland Avenue: Consideration of design review for a new two-story home.

2.  03-SC-09--H. and C. Nagao--1121 Covington Road:  Consideration of design review for a 632 square foot second story addition to an existing one story home.

3. 03-SC-11--B. and C. Heath--1232 Richardson Avenue:  Consideration of design review for a second story addition. Project Planner: Connolly.

I live about 6 blocks from Rosita Park. I swam at Covington Pool for 15 years and have followed the efforts to obtain new swimming facilities for Los Altos with interest. It is a civic failure that we have been without a pool for several years: the losers in all this are the children of Los Altos who do not have a convenient place to swim.

Rosita Park is not the best site in the city for a pool. MacKenzie Park or Hillview/City Center would be better, but the MacKenzie Park neighbors objected to pool facilities and the Rosita/Covington neighbors objected to a proposed school district maintenance yard, so a land swap was arranged to place the swimming facilities at Rosita Park to accommodate the preferences of the neighborhoods. Plans for a multi-pool facility were discussed prior to the land swap, so I view the recent lawsuit as inappropriate on the part of the neighborhood.

I’m concerned about the delay from a financial standpoint. SPLASH has committed to raising the funds for the facilities. One fellow swimmer said, "Can you

believe that this community wants to turn down a free pool? Most municipalities would be very grateful for that opportunity." I hope that SPLASH can raise the funding in the current economy—it would be a shame if the neighborhood tactics caused our community to lose a civic swimming pool.

However, as a neighbor I also don’t think that it is appropriate for the facility to operate after 8:00 pm. I also don’t want an excessive amount of traffic or noise in the neighborhood. Finally, I’m concerned about the financial viability of a multi-pool complex.

So what would I suggest at this point? Design a multi-pool facility, and put in the plumbing for all the pools. Then only construct one large pool and the small wading pool and assess the environmental impact based only on what is actually constructed. (Most people do not seem to have an objection to one main pool.) Make sure there is ample recreational swim time for the main pool. Then wait for several years and reassess whether we need another large pool and assess the impacts on the neighborhood and the financial viability of adding the second large pool based on real data.

The Los Altos Chamber of Commerce is hosting a seminar for individuals interested in running a campaign for election to public office. The two-hour session will be held on Wednesday, May 14, 6:00 P.M. at Northern Trust, 270 Third Street, Los Altos.

The panel of experts will include Jim Cunneen, President/CEO of the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and former California State Assemblyman; Jim and Emily Thurber, EJT Associates and members of the Campaign Ethics Foundation Board of Directors; Shannon Bushey, Election Coordinator for the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters; Kelly Lawler, campaign finance reporting expert with Knight & Company’s Chico office; and Bob Grimm, former Los Altos Mayor and City Council member.

Jeff Janssen, a professional campaign consultant, will discuss specific successful campaign strategies. Carol Scharz, Los Altos City Clerk and local Elections Official, will be on hand to discuss local regulations and answer specific questions about Los Altos City Council elections. Carol Watts will represent the League of Women Voters and will let potential candidates know about the advantages of www.smartvoter.org.

There are four elections in November 2003 which directly affect our community: the Los Altos City Council (3 seats), the Los Altos School District (two seats), the Cupertino Union School District (two seats) and the Foothill-De Anza College District (three seats). Anyone interested in running for these upcoming elections—or any future election—is invited to attend the seminar.

If you are interested in attending the candidate’s seminar or know of someone who is thinking of running for office or helping with a local campaign, please contact the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce at 650/948-1455 or info@losaltoschamber.org. Pre-registration is required.

Dramatic landscaping can make a huge difference to the curb appeal of a house. If you are trying to create visual interest for a house that fails to stand-out by itself, new landscaping can work wonders. However, a quality landscape requires a combination of inspiration, sweat, and money. A simple plate of grass and a few trees may be nice, but it probably isn’t going to create a front yard eye-stopper. So the question is how does one create the kind of garden that makes people pause, look, and take notice?

One obvious answer is to hire the professionals that designed the gardens that are attractive to you. Hiring an expert may seem like an expensive proposition, however putting together a garden without a good plan is also expensive because one can easily run up a large bill because plant material and the inevitable mistakes are very costly. A good design comprised of appropriate plants in the right location, requiring no more maintenance than what the resident is willing to do (or has done in the past) can save thousands of dollars. Design and installation costs can be recovered quickly over time if the garden is successful and requires minimal maintenance and water, or if the garden produces edibles that the homeowner uses.

Here is some of Rosalind’s advice for us: Gardens are living systems and are never static. We want our yards to look good and be neat, so many people plant what they think will be care-free such as a lawn and trees, and then hire a gardener to take care of it. Initially a sod lawn looks great and it provides instant gratification, but over time lawns require a lot of care in our climate. Without thatching and aerating, a lawn will eventually become impervious to water. The more run-off there is the more people tend to waste water. Many gardeners apply products such as Weed-and-Feed and chemical fertilizers. Rosalind states that Weed-and-Feed does not work in our climate and chemical fertilizers often end up in our waste and ground waters, causing problems later on. Rosalind recommends either not having a lawn or only having a small one in the rear yard for the kids. Also she recommends not planting trees in the lawn, as meadows and forests are not ecologically compatible. Instead she suggests that trees be planted at least 5 feet from the edge of the lawn so that the crowns stay dry.

So how do we create a beautiful garden without lawn? The first step is to build the "bones" of the garden. The "bones" make up about ¾ of the garden and are the permanent fixtures such as hardscape, underground drip irrigation, shrubs, trees, and woody perennials. Good "bones" allow the resident to focus on the fun part of gardening, such as plugging in annuals, perennials, and potted plants. The overall design can be either formal or informal, and Rosalind recommends an informal style if the resident does not want to spend time pruning. Before the shrubs cover the ground, it is important to mulch heavily to control weeds and retain water. Plan for a drought; install a water conserving irrigation system. Droughts are a part of life in California. Rosalind’s yard produces a lush bounty of flowers and edibles, and she uses a small fraction of the average water usage in our area.

Initially when caring for a new garden, Rosalind suggests hiring someone trained in horticulture for a few years until plants are established. She states that it is important to prune and train young plants correctly. A poor pruning job, such as topping a tree, can destroy the health or aesthetics of a plant forever. When in doubt, don’t cut and instead find out what the correct pruning procedure is or hire someone who knows pruning. You can always cut tomorrow. Rosalind finds some of her help through the Ornamental Horticulture program at Foothill College. Some plants are so rewarding in our climate, so I asked Rosalind to tell us about a few of her favorite landscape plants:

Chinese Pistache: This is the official city tree of Los Altos. Low maintenance, needs very little pruning, and has dramatic fall color.

Western Redbud: Small tree with good spring color

Persimmon: Really lovely when you see the orange, dangling fruit.

Valley Oak: Plant it if you have room. This is a large, magnificent, deciduous tree.

Coast Live Oak: Plant it if you have room. This is an evergreen shade tree that is native to coastal California.

Junipers: There are new junipers today that are soft, light green, and low growing. These make great groundcovers. The new ones do not bear much resemblance to the large, woody junipers planted in the 1950’s.

Loropetalum: Also known as Chinese Fringe Flower. This is a much used plant with graceful green and bronze foliage and pink flowers. Rosalind suggests looking at the variety with white flowers for a change.

Abutilon: (Chinese Lantern) This is flowering, evergreen plant that works in light shade.

Tuscan Blue Rosemary: This is rosemary that can be used for a 6’ hedge.

Boxwood: Rosalind characterizes Boxwood as a very well behaved plant that brings a tailored, formal look to a garden.

Lavender: Good landscape plant, but must be pruned yearly.

Nandina: Overall nice form, undemanding, with delicate leaves and great fall color.

Pittosporum Wheeler’s Dwarf: An extremely neat, low-growing evergreen shrub.

Raphiolepsis: This plant is beautiful and useful for backgrounds and hedges. Pink flowers.

Agapanthus: This is an overused plant for great reasons. It is extremely easy to grow, has clean foliage, and pretty flowers. Rosalind suggests investigating the new varieties which have variegated leaves, or white flowers, or tall, cobalt blue flowers.

Daylily: Like the Agapanthus, it is not fussy, and offers nice flowers in many different colors.

True Geraniums: (not Pelargoniuns) Many geraniums make lovely, spreading groundcovers.

Phormium: There are many phormiums with unique colors in the sword shaped leaves. Phormiums have bold form making them a good contrast next to softer forms. Particularly great in containers.

Tomatoes!!! Rosalind recommends choosing varieties that are good in our climate, as the tomato is a very climate specific plant. She suggests: Early Girl; Better Boy; Sun Gold; Sweet 100; Quick Pick; and Enchantment (Roma type).

Summer Squash and Zucchini: Select the yellow or light green squash for a kid-pleaser.

Mediterranean Herbs: Basil; Thyme, Parsley, Sage, & Chives

One of the best sources of information for California gardeners is a recent edition of the Sunset Western Garden Book. Rosalind also recommends the Master Gardeners’ Hotline. Gardening experts are available weekdays in the morning to help anyone who calls in with a gardening question. The number is (408) 299-2638

Rosalind recommends exploring these specialty nurseries:

Half Moon Bay Nursery. Sells plants from small, specialty growers

Common Ground in Palo Alto. Unusual tomatoes and a good resource center

Roger Reynolds in Menlo Park. They sell a huge variety of plants.

Yamagami’s in Cupertino on Saratoga/Sunnyvale Road

In Summary, when faced with a planting challenge, Rosalind urges us to find the right plant for the right place. Avoid planting plants that are incompatible with our dry climate. In general, poor choices of plant materials lead to the over use of herbicides and chemical fertilizers, which over time degrade the soil and slow down the growth of all plants. Do not look for a "magical elixir," instead look to nature to be your guide when designing your garden. Lastly, if gardening isn’t feeding your body or soul, hire a professional and make some changes so that you can liberate yourself from those tasks you consider drudgery and begin to enjoy your garden.

In our LANN board meeting last month we decided to devote some of April’s newsletter to subjects surrounding our gardens. One of our advisors piped up and said we should do an article on "the fertilizer guy" who lives in Los Altos. I offered to write the article because I always enjoy interviewing interesting people and this assignment did not disappoint.

The protagonist in the book the Orchid Thief, which was made into the movie Adaptation, could have been based on Jerry Rodder. Seventy-four-year-old Jerry lives peacefully in Los Altos among hundreds of orchids and cymbidiums which he lovingly fertilizes with the product that is his livelihood. Jerry has earned national attention with his plants and the food he feeds them. His plants are spectacular and his liquid fertilizer could fuel an Indy 500 race car with its secret ingredient being of all things, methanol.

For years scientists in big companies have been tinkering with methanol as a way to enhance plant growth. Jerry started his research into the magical plant fuel in 1992. While others gave up, Jerry plowed on. After six years of trial and error, he found the combination that worked and he has roses, orchids and artichokes to prove it. Enormous, mutant-like flowers hang heavily from their stalks. Jerry absentmindedly strokes their leaves as one would pat the head of a child as he speaks. "A year ago, this cymbidium was this size," he gestured towards a four-inch tall fingerling of a plant, "and now I have a cymbidium in bloom that technically should not bloom for another 2 years." The cymbidium he was showing off was like the many others he had; multiple flowers in vivid colors just beaming with chlorophyll and health.

Before the fertilizer, there were scientific instruments in Jerry’s garage. He invented and hand-manufactured many but never bothered to patent them. He had no competition because no company was willing to take the excruciating time and effort required to create, for example, a balance that could weigh a dust particle suspended by a nearly invisible fused silica strand. Selling his instruments, one at a time, to places like Los Alamos labs provided for his family while he and his wife raised up two kids.

Jerry has always been a plant enthusiast, but became enamored of orchids when a friend gave him some. Now he is hooked and cares for about 200 plants in his greenhouse. A friend, using Jerry’s Grow has recently won the coveted Butterworth Award which is a nationally recognized honor in the world of orchid growing. But Jerry is not in it for the accolades. He gets more excited about the heads of cabbage the size of basketballs that he plans to pick and bring to the Santa Barbara show. Or the purple asparagus the size of drapery rods which he says are delicious and tender. One of the garden accomplishments he is most proud of is his dwarf orange tree. "Los Altos is not orange-growing country," Jerry maintains. He was ready to rip his little tree out because the oranges were sour. But before he demolished the tree he decided to pour a little Jerry’s Grow on it. The new crop of oranges presented themselves with all the sweetness of their Florida counterparts.

Jerry is not a salesman, and this article is not an ad for Jerry’s Grow, but it is hard to ignore the fact that thousands of gardeners, some world class, have become hooked on this product. The plants that Jerry had in his greenhouse and around his yard were far more robust than anything I had seen before. Jerry recommends fertilizing orchids every 4-7 days in the summertime. In the winter with the rains, Jerry recommends fertilizing sporadically when the medium is allowed to dry out.

Jerry’s plants are remarkable, his demeanor humble and his spirit for nurturing flora and fauna inspiring.

For inspiration, check out the following spring garden tours:

Secret Gardens of the East Bay of 2003

April 27, 2003 9:00AM – 5:00PM

The gardens are located in Berkeley, Oakland, Kensington and Alameda

May 2 and 3, 10:00AM – 4:00PM
Spring Garden Tour: Every Garden Has a Story